Spark-arrester



UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL ZEGK, OF PITTSBURG, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH OF HIS RIGHT TO WM. LOGAN FOX, OF FOXBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPARK-ARRESTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 223,427, dated January 6, 1880.

Application filed November 12, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, MICHAEL ZECK, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spark-Arresters; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to'the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in

which- Figure l is a vertical section of the smokebox of a locomotive-engine, showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a detached view of my devices.

Like letters refer to like parts wherever they occur.

Myinvention relates to a spark-arrester and smoke-consumer for locomotive-engines; and it consists in substituting for the cinder-lifting pipe in the smoke-chamber now in common use a perforated or basket-work cylinder or series of cylinders fitting together telescopically, and a hood or hoods fitting over and around said cylinders, so that the draft 2 5 through the smoke-chamber may be regulated, combustion of the/smoke facilitated, and the cinder pulverized and. driven out through the Smokestack.

It is usual in locomotive-engines to conduct 3 the exhaust-steam from the cylinders into the smoke box or chamber in front of the boiler and discharge it upward from the bottom of the smoke-chamber, so as to cause a draft through the smoke-stack, and thereby not only increase combustion in the fire-box or furnace, but also drive out the cinder, which would otherwise fill and choke the flues and smoke-chamber. In order to efiect the cleaning of the smoke-chamber, it has been custom- 4 ary to place over the steam-discharge in the smoke-box a cylinder or pipe, open at both ends, extending from the bottom of the smokechamber about two-thirds the distance to the smoke-stack, sufficient space, however, being left between the bottom of the smoke-chamber and the end of the cylinder to allow the cinder from the bottom of the smoke-chamber to be drawn up through the cylinder or liftingpipe and discharged into and through the 5 smoke-stack by the action of the steam exhaust or discharge. This device or method, however, if used alone, would cause sparks and large hot cinders to be discharged in considerable quantities from the smoke-stack; and to obviate this objectionable feature nu- 5 5 merous devices have been placed in the smoke stack to pulverize the cinder and to prevent the escape of sparks, so that all the dirt and cinder will be discharged from the stack in the shape offine dust.

These devices have been more or less suc' cessful; but none of them has fully prevented the escape of cinders and sparks without at the same time interfering with a perfect draft through the smoke-chamber. It is a great de- 6 sideratum, therefore, to prevent the escape of sparks and cinders, and at the same time to allow a thorough draft through the smoke chamber and stack.

These are the special objects of my inven- 0 tion, which I will now describe, so that others skilled in the art may manufacture and use the same.

The smoke-chamber a is constructed after the usual plan, having a steam-discharge mi fice, a, at the bottom, which is in the shape of the frustum of a cone open at the top, so as to concentrate the jet of steam when discharged into the smoke-chamber.

The steam-pipes a leading from the boiler to the cylinders, and the flues 1), leading from the fire-box to the rear of the smokechamber, are all constructed and arranged in the usual manner.

Instead of placing the usual lift-pipe or i1nperforate cylinder over the discharge-orifice a, I place there a cylinder, 0, composed of vertical wire rods, wire basket-work, or perforated metal, which also ditfers from the usual lift-pipe in that it fits down closely to the bottom of the smoke-chamber. This cylinder 0 extends about two-thirds of the distance from the bottom to the top of the smoke-chamber.

Around and at the-top of the cylinder 0 is placed a hood, d, which is preferably made of 5 plate or sheet metal in a conical form, extend-. ing at its upper portion into a cylindrical sleeve. This hood d extends down outward andaround about half the length of the cylinder c. This cylindrical sleeve 01, which is fastened to the top of and forms part of the hood (I, fits telescopically over the cylinder 0, so that it may slide up and down over the cylinder and can be readily adjusted by bolts, screws, or other device.

Around the hood (I, at its junction with the sleeve d, are perforations (1 On the sleeve d is placed a perforated cylinder, 6, which fits telescopically around the sleeve 01, so as to slide vertically up and down. This cylinder 6 is perforated all over, excepting for a short distance at its lower end, and extends upward to about the top of the smoke-box a.

At the top of the perforated cylinder 0 is a circular crown -piece or flaring flange, 0 made of perforated metal, fitting telescopically around the upper end of the cylinder 0, so that it can be moved up or down and adjusted according to the draft which is desired through the smoke-chain her. This crown-piece is made so as to fit closely agaii'ist the top of the smokechamber when at the top of the cylinder 6, but, being arranged telescopically over the cylinder 0, it can be lowered, if desired.

If desired, the hood d, sleeve d, cylinder 6, and crown-piece 0 may be made in one piece, so arranged as to slide up and down over the cylinder 0.

The operation of my devices is as follows: The exhaust-steam coming through the orifice a passes up through the cylinder 0 and 0 into the smoke-stack. This causes a draft through the boiler, fiues b, and smoke-chamber a, and the fine cinder and dust, with the smoke, are drawn up under the hood cl, through the basketwork or perforations ofthe cylinder 0, and alsothrough the perforations of the cylinder 6 and crown-piece 0 into the smoke-stack, and is thence discharged into the open air. The large cinders, being unable to pass through the various perforations, fall back to the bottom of the smoke-chamber, again to be carried up by the draft, until they are sufficiently pulverized to pass through the perforations into the smoke-stack.

The draft may be regulated as follows: By lowering the hood (I the draft from the lower fines, extending from the fire-box, is increased, and is also caused to sweep closer to the bot tom of the sn'ioke-chamber, thereby more effectually carrying away and pulverizing the cinder which accumulates at that point; and

by raising the cylinder 0 on the sleeve cl a greater extent of imperforate surface is presented, against which the pieces of cinder strike as they are carried upward by the draft. This decreases the draft at that point (which is about the middle of the smoke-chamber) and increases the draft at the bottom. By lowering the crown-piece e and the cylinder 6 the draft is increased at the upper portion of the smoke-chamber and from the other fines leading from the fire-box.

The perforations d in the hood (I help to disintegrate the cinder and prevent the clogging of the perforations or openings in the cylinder c,"as it allows some of the cinder to escape into the smoke-chamber, which is carried off through the other perforations or falls to the bottom of the smoke-chamber a.

The advantages of my invention are that the spark-arresting device, being placed in the smoke-chamber instead of the stack, is easy of access in order to clean it or make necessary adjustment. 1t is not liable to be clogged by the cinder and dirt. The draft can be regulated so as to promote combustion in the smoke-chamber, thereby causing much of the smoke and dirt to be consumed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a spark-arrester, the combination, with the exhaust-jet, of a perforated lift-pipe and a flaring hood adjustable on the lift-pipe, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a spark-arrester, the combination, with the exhaust-j et, of a perforated lift-pipe, a liaring hood adjustable on the lift-pipe, and an adjustable perforated upper section of the liftpipe, the whole constructed and arranged to operate substantially as specified.

3. In the smoke-chamber of a locomotiveengine, the combination of the perforated or basket-work cylinder 0, the hood (1, cylinder 0, and crown-piece e fitting together telescopically over the steam-exhaust pipe a, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I, the said MICHAEL ZEOK, have hereunto set my hand this 29th 100 day of October, A. D. 1879.

Witnesses: MICHAEL ZEOK.

A. G. JOHNSTON, J. K. SMITH. 

